Technology in the Field

A major part of wildlife conservation is having enough information about the species to take action. For wolverines, this has often been a challenge.

The Problem

Wolverines’ low numbers and densities, inhospitable habitat, huge individual territories, and one of the lowest reproductive rates known for mammals means that scientific information about their population, habitat requirements, and threats to their survival have also been limited.

How We’re Helping

Defenders has recruited and trained volunteer “citizen scientists” to document wolverines in the West using snow-tracking, hair (DNA) collection, and remote cameras. We also reach out to backcountry recreation enthusiasts to document information whenever they see wolverines or their tracks. These data points can help provide scientists with important information about the location of wolverines. Our efforts also help inform local citizens about this enigmatic species and show them that they live in wolverine country! We’ll continue to look for new ways to expand our monitoring to help scientists better understand wolverine distribution.